McCarthy leads opening day at 2016 USBC Queens
May 21, 2016
Qualifying: Round 1
LAS VEGAS - Team USA's Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Nebraska, continued where she left off at the United States Bowling Congress Queens and led a field of more than 250 players Saturday in the opening round of the 2016 event.
McCarthy averaged more than 251 for her five-game block at The Orleans Bowling Center, including games of 268, 257, 259, 232 and 241, for an opening-round total of 1,257. Germany's Birgit Poppler ended the day in second place with 1,238, while two-time USBC Queens champion Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, sits third with 1,223.
The Queens is the first major of the 2016 Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour season, and the tournament's stepladder finals will be televised live on CBS Sports Network on Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern.
The 25-year-old right-hander, who went undefeated in match play at last year's Queens to earn the top seed in the stepladder final before finishing second to USBC Hall of Famer Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York, took advantage of conditions that played to her favor Saturday.
"The burn is my strong suit, so I tried to get as many pins as possible," said McCarthy, who fell in the 2015 title match, 256-202. "I matched up well with my equipment, chased it left and also made my spares, which is something I haven't done well in the past few weeks. I don't think I'll strike nearly as much on the fresh, so I'm going to try to make the best shots possible, make my spares and hope it turns out all right."
All competitors will bowl three five-game blocks of qualifying over the course three days at the 2016 event, including two sets on the fresh 40-foot lane condition and one on the burn.
Competition continues Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Eastern with the second round of qualifying. After 15 games of qualifying, the top 63 players in the field will join Johnson in the double-elimination match-play bracket.
Johnson is guaranteed the No. 64 spot in the bracket but can improve her seeding through qualifying. She is 88th after Saturday's round with a 1,050 total.
The match-play bracket will feature three-game matches, with total pinfall determining who advances. The five players who make their way through the bracket will advance to the stepladder finals and have the chance to take home the top prize of $20,000.
All rounds of competition leading up to the stepladder will be broadcast on Xtra Frame, the online bowling channel for the Professional Bowlers Association. To subscribe to watch the action on Xtra Frame, visit XtraFrame.TV.
LAS VEGAS - Team USA's Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Nebraska, continued where she left off at the United States Bowling Congress Queens and led a field of more than 250 players Saturday in the opening round of the 2016 event.
McCarthy averaged more than 251 for her five-game block at The Orleans Bowling Center, including games of 268, 257, 259, 232 and 241, for an opening-round total of 1,257. Germany's Birgit Poppler ended the day in second place with 1,238, while two-time USBC Queens champion Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, sits third with 1,223.
The Queens is the first major of the 2016 Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour season, and the tournament's stepladder finals will be televised live on CBS Sports Network on Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern.
The 25-year-old right-hander, who went undefeated in match play at last year's Queens to earn the top seed in the stepladder final before finishing second to USBC Hall of Famer Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York, took advantage of conditions that played to her favor Saturday.
"The burn is my strong suit, so I tried to get as many pins as possible," said McCarthy, who fell in the 2015 title match, 256-202. "I matched up well with my equipment, chased it left and also made my spares, which is something I haven't done well in the past few weeks. I don't think I'll strike nearly as much on the fresh, so I'm going to try to make the best shots possible, make my spares and hope it turns out all right."
All competitors will bowl three five-game blocks of qualifying over the course three days at the 2016 event, including two sets on the fresh 40-foot lane condition and one on the burn.
Competition continues Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Eastern with the second round of qualifying. After 15 games of qualifying, the top 63 players in the field will join Johnson in the double-elimination match-play bracket.
Johnson is guaranteed the No. 64 spot in the bracket but can improve her seeding through qualifying. She is 88th after Saturday's round with a 1,050 total.
The match-play bracket will feature three-game matches, with total pinfall determining who advances. The five players who make their way through the bracket will advance to the stepladder finals and have the chance to take home the top prize of $20,000.
All rounds of competition leading up to the stepladder will be broadcast on Xtra Frame, the online bowling channel for the Professional Bowlers Association. To subscribe to watch the action on Xtra Frame, visit XtraFrame.TV.